The demon called Coronavirus

The demon will soon be defeated

“World Health Organization (WHO) does not recommend evacuation of foreign nationals, and called on the international community to remain calm and not overreact. WHO is confident in China’s epidemic prevention and control ability.”

The epidemic is a demon, and we cannot let this demon hide,” says the Chinese President Xi Jinping at last on January 28, 2020, many days after the demon scourge started stalking the mainland China. Anyway, this time China seems more open about the ‘demon’ coronavirus than it was earlier in 2002 when it was faced with what was known as ‘Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)’ epidemic.

The outbreak of coronavirus was first reported in December 2019 in Wuhan, a big city in central China. The Health officials identified the virus as being related to the virus that caused the SARS outbreak in 2002. It killed nearly 800 people before being brought under control. A tour plan of Rotary Mysore to Australia and New Zealand, where my wife and I were included, was cancelled as a result.

According to reports, in China, coronavirus sickened more than 500 people as on Jan. 22 and led to 17 deaths. It has now already crossed the China border and the world is worried. India no exception. Screening of passengers who travel from China is intensified, in many cases with infrared temperature scanners and portable thermometers.

Reports say every worker reporting for work at Seafood Market in Wuhan where the coronavirus originated is subjected to inspection by health officials. China was accused of ‘hiding’ the outbreak officially, apparently waiting for a ‘nod’ to be transparent till its leader Xi Jinping uttered the order. And he did, though belated, issuing a Jan. 20 directive to “put people’s safety and health as the top priority and take effective measures to curb the spread of the virus.” The Chinese officials are now on the job on a war-footing! That is good news.

Scare-mongering about such epidemics by the rumour-mills — media, quacks and even medical fraternity for obvious reasons — is common. I remember how, I think in 2009, the fear of H1N1 (Swine flu) gripped the people of Mysuru and neighbouring areas because of scare-mongering and people made a beeline before clinics and hospitals for taking preventive vaccinations or medical check-up and in few cases treatment. Many connected to health-care concerns made money.

Curiously coronavirus symptoms seem similar to H1N1 — “symptoms of H1N1 include upper respiratory tract infection, besides running nose, cold, cough, fever and headache.” However, before-long, the situation turned normal. Thanks to our health-care people, specially from the government-side. Yes.

Be that as it may, the ray of hope, in the midst of surrounding scare-mongering by some, comes from the World Health Organisation (WHO). Its advisory said it is against evacuation of people and said, “WHO does not recommend evacuation of foreign nationals, and called on the international community to remain calm and not overreact. WHO is confident in China’s epidemic prevention and control ability.” What more assurance one needs to hope that the dreaded “demon” would soon be caged or driven away from China and the world wherever it has spread its tentacles.